Hello Healthyhttp://blog.myfitnesspal.com
The MyFitnessPal BlogSun, 02 Aug 2015 15:00:59 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.3How to Set Exercise Goals You’ll Actually Achievehttp://blog.myfitnesspal.com/how-to-set-exercise-goals-youll-actually-achieve/
http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/how-to-set-exercise-goals-youll-actually-achieve/#commentsSun, 02 Aug 2015 15:00:59 +0000http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/?p=10211Sometimes even the most active and healthy people can occasionally have slip ups or struggle through periods where they lose sight of their exercise motivation. Whether it’s due to an injury, life becomes too busy, or a variety of other reasons, losing your drive can be extremely frustrating. To get back on track you should […]]]>

Sometimes even the most active and healthy people can occasionally have slip ups or struggle through periods where they lose sight of their exercise motivation. Whether it’s due to an injury, life becomes too busy, or a variety of other reasons, losing your drive can be extremely frustrating.

To get back on track you should start working towards creating achievable goals until you rebuild your confidence and reverse your recent exercise shortcomings—right, I know what you’re thinking, “If it were that easy I’d be doing it already.”

Often times, when others try to offer their motivational support, it can be interpreted as an easy solution—but how could they understand your particular struggle? Do they think this is easy for you?

Well by now, you’re likely to have grown to understand that setting healthy goals and actually achieving them can be one of the most challenging tasks that you do.

To get over the hump and start setting new exercise goals, consider the following tips to help you refocus your mind and begin moving closer to your lifelong dedication to health and fitness. Remember, these are only suggestions. What works best for you will ultimately vary. As with many things in life, these tips won’t work at all unless you put the work in yourself.

Set Goals That You Can Achieve Consistently

When you’re interested in tangibly accomplishing your exercise goals, you should consider altering your mindset to accept a marathon mentality. Marathoners don’t start running 26.2 grueling miles out of thin air, they conquer many smaller goals before scaling to this milestone. Success is rarely something that can be obtained overnight, it’s the result of hard working individuals that maintain a consistent effort in the long run.

No matter how long you’ve fallen off the wagon, you can start setting attainable goals each day to help you get back on track. The idea is to create a challenge for yourself and build upon those challenges consistently—day after day, week after week, year after year and so forth.

This consistency doesn’t necessarily equate to a hard workout every single day—it means that you have consciously accepted that each day is going to present new challenges to overcome, it means that you are actively focused on tackling speed bumps to become a stronger person tomorrow, it means that you aren’t going to let any setback permanently change your path.

Know When to Scale Your Efforts Either Forward or Backward

Understanding whether you are trying to do too much or you’re not focusing enough of your energy towards exercising can be a problem that many athletes and fitness enthusiasts face when achieving their goals. Exercising too much can lead to over stressing your body and a complete burnout, whereas feeling like you aren’t working hard enough can take a serious toll on your mentality and overall attitude towards fitness.

Ideally, we’d like to sit right in the middle of these two extremes, but this is not generally an easy place to find. To build a stronger understanding of where you currently stand, you should learn to listen to your body. Once again, this can feel like a pretty vague answer, but when you think about it deeper, there are few people qualified enough to accurately tell you exactly what your body is going through—it’s up to you to decide.

What you can do, is look for signs that indicate whether you should amp up your exercises or scale back your efforts.

If you’ve lost sleep from evening workouts, you feel sluggish, or your resting heart rate has climbed these can be warning signs that you’re doing too much and headed for a breakdown or an unwanted exercise hiatus.

In contrast, if you aren’t experiencing any physical changes, you don’t feel sore, you have a stagnant or repetitive fitness routine, or you always exercise at the same low intensity, it may be time to try new workouts and increase your output.

When setting exercise goals that you’ll actually achieve, look to find the edge of your comfort zone, but be careful not to overstep your bounds or be too easy on yourself. Finding a happy medium is key to helping maintain a consistent effort moving forward.

Track All of Your Progress

Another problem for many healthy individuals is finding the best exercise formula to reach their long term commitments. Since some goals can only be reached in the distant months or even years ahead, not knowing if you’re on the right track can be frustrating and may cause you to doubt how effective your hard earned workouts have been.

To have a better idea of how well you are moving towards your goals, start documenting and tracking your results. In the past, this was a tedious process that needed to be done by manually by counting calories, measuring your waistline, and even jotting down your weekly body weight; however, with recent advances in mobile technology, you can have access to all of your fitness and nutrition data with just a few taps on your smartphone.

Additionally, experimenting with a wearable device or incorporating health and fitness apps into your exercise routine, can help you collect more data about your workouts and better determine if you are on the right track. While these devices can be a good option, they still have their limitations. Again, if you don’t put the work in, neither can they.

Keep in mind that setting goals is meant to be a positive experience to help you throughout your lifelong health journey. Goals that are too difficult can be overwhelming and lead to disappointment, but goals that are too easy don’t always yield the rewards that your are working towards. Finding a healthy balance that works best for you is the key to creating exercise goals that you’ll actually achieve and feel accomplished when you reach them.

How do you develop exercise goals that you’ll actually achieve? What are some of your biggest setbacks when work towards your goals? Have you ever fallen victim to exercising too much? Answer in the comments section below and as always, your feedback and criticism is warmly welcomed.

]]>http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/how-to-set-exercise-goals-youll-actually-achieve/feed/0Grilled Steak & Potato Saladhttp://blog.myfitnesspal.com/grilled-steak-potatoes-salad/
http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/grilled-steak-potatoes-salad/#commentsSat, 01 Aug 2015 17:00:19 +0000http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/?p=8699Meat-and-potato fans will enjoy this hearty salad featuring lean flank steak and roasted potatoes. The tangy side salad helps make this a well-balanced, nutritious meal. If you’d rather cut the carbs, omit the potatoes and double up on the mixed salad greens instead.]]>

Meat-and-potato fans will enjoy this hearty salad featuring lean flank steak and roasted potatoes. The tangy side salad helps make this a well-balanced, nutritious meal. If you’d rather cut the carbs, omit the potatoes and double up on the mixed salad greens instead.

Place potatoes in a medium microwaveable bowl. Cover and microwave 5 minutes or until slightly tender. Cool to room temperature.

Combine garlic, cumin, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir in vinegar, olive oil and water. Place 3 tablespoons dressing in a large plastic zip top bag or glass baking dish; add steak and potatoes. Seal bag or cover bowl, and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes-4 hours until ready to grill. Reserve remaining dressing for the salad.

Prepare a charcoal fire or preheat grill to high heat. Place grill on grill rack, and coat with cooking spray. Grill steak, 6 minutes on each side for medium, or until desired degree of doneness. Let rest 5-10 minutes before slicing. Grill potatoes 3 minutes on each side or until cooked through and tender.

Pilates is a fantastic low-impact workout that strengthens your entire body, but it’s particularly effective at strengthening abs. We asked Amanda Masarjian, Miami-based Pilates instructor to create a simple routine that focuses on your core (also known as your Pilates powerhouse). Just check out her Instagram for a little abs-spiration and jaw-dropping workout views.

Some of the moves on the following slides use the Pilates circle, a tool that helps engage your core and activate your leg and inner thigh muscles. Most gyms have these rings stashed in the group fitness studio or by the ab mats where the medicine balls and foam rollers are kept, but if you don’t have access to one you can still do the following routine without it. Now let’s get to the moves shall we?

The Hundred

Lie faceup and curl head, neck and shoulders up off mat. Extend legs to a 45-degree angle (as shown). Keeping arms straight and palms facing ground, pump arms for five quick inhales, then five quick exhales. Repeat for a total of 10 times. Modify by bending knees at a 90-degree angle.

Roll Ups

Lie faceup and hold the circle between hands. Extend arms straight to sky so the circle is directly above face. Inhale and curl head, neck and shoulders up. Exhale and roll spine, one vertebrae at a time, off mat. Keep arms straight and parallel to legs. Continue to fold forward and reach the circle past feet (as shown). Inhale, exhale and slowly reverse the movement. Repeat a total of 6 times.

Rolling Like a Ball

After finishing your last Roll Up, place the circle to the side and pull knees into chest so feet are lifted a couple inches off ground. Grab front of ankles and keep heels together and toes apart. Inhale and roll back on the curve of spine to shoulders blades, exhale and roll up to a seated position (as shown). Repeat a total of 5 times.

Single-Leg Stretch

Complete your final roll and release left leg and extend it away from body. Straighten right leg and place both hands comfortably on your ankle or shin. Curl head, neck and shoulders off mat (as shown). Keep torso lifted and switch legs without lowering to ground. That’s 1 rep, do 10 total.

Frog Legs

Lie faceup and bend knees 90 degrees and bring heels together, toes apart. Stack palms one on top of the other and place them at the nape of your neck (as shown). Exhale and extend legs at 45-degree angle. Inhale and pull knees back to tabletop position. That’s 1 rep, do 10 total.

Corkscrew

Lie faceup with arms by sides. Place circle between ankles and raise legs straight into the air. Circle the legs to the left (as shown) then stop in the center and reverse the movement, completing a circle to the right. That’s 1 rep, do 10 total.

Teaser

With legs extended, hold circle between ankles. Lift torso off mat to create a “V” shape (as shown) balancing on sit bones. Exhale and lower legs and torso (to shoulder blades), then raise both back up to the V. That’s 1 rep. Do 3 sets of 3 reps.

Kneeling Side Kicks

Start kneeling and place right palm on mat with right shoulder stacked above wrist and right side parallel to ground. Extend left leg at hip-height and place left hand behind head (as shown). Lower left foot and tap toes on mat then raise back to hip-height. That’s 1 rep, do 10 total then switch sides.

Photos courtesy of SELF.

]]>http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/hate-crunches-planks-burpees-try-this-ab-workout/feed/28 Hip Stretches Your Body Really Needshttp://blog.myfitnesspal.com/8-hip-stretches-your-body-really-needs/
http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/8-hip-stretches-your-body-really-needs/#commentsFri, 31 Jul 2015 19:00:00 +0000http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/?p=7066We’ve all had those intense lower body workouts that leave you beyond sore, when just the thought of moving hurts. Rest easy though—these stretches will open up your hips, groin, and legs, making your tomorrow a little bit easier. Because let’s be honest, there’s nothing like the day-after sore that follows a killer day in […]]]>

We’ve all had those intense lower body workouts that leave you beyond sore, when just the thought of moving hurts. Rest easy though—these stretches will open up your hips, groin, and legs, making your tomorrow a little bit easier. Because let’s be honest, there’s nothing like the day-after sore that follows a killer day in the gym.

Tight muscles aside, great hip mobility is beneficial when it comes to allowing your body to have the full range of motion it should. “If our hips aren’t able to flex and move in the way our bodies intend them to, they don’t become as useful as they should be, which means a lot of the load will fall onto your lower back,” says Heidi Jones, Head Coach at Brick New York. “This creates problems over time.” And your hips are 100 percent designed to generate a ton of power. So go ahead, get your stretch on!

1. Deep Squat Stand

Get into a deep squat with chest and eyes up and forward. Keep your core contracted and upright. Hold onto the front of each shoe. Then as you stand and extend hips back, continue holding onto the front of each shoe to full extension. Repeat 9 more times.

This stretch improves hip and leg mobility while stretching your hip and hamstrings.

2. Samson Stretch

Interlace your thumbs and raise your arms overhead. Engage your shoulders and shrug them up towards your ears. Step forward into a lunge with the knee of the rear leg touching the floor. Stretch your hands up towards the ceiling as you sink into the lunge and push your hips forward as your arms reach back behind you. Stand up out of the lunge and repeat on the other side.

This move stretches and lengthens the arms, shoulders, and back while stretching the hip flexors as well.

3. Couch Stretch

Find a wall and get down on all fours and move your bent knee back into the wall with your shin and the top of your foot touching the wall. Then bring the forward leg into a 90-degree angle with the knee directly over the ankle. Then stand tall with your torso and your chest and eyes up looking forward to the opposite side of the room. Squeeze your glutes and hamstrings to prevent hyperextending your lower back. Hold for 30 seconds and switch to the other side.

You will feel an intense stretch on the right front side of your hip.

4. Toy Soldier

Stand upright with feet under the hips. Core engaged and gaze forward. Raise your right arm toward the ceiling. Then swing your left leg up towards the ceiling as your right hand lowers to tap your left foot. Return to standing position and repeat on the opposite side. Do 10 toy soldiers to each side.

This dynamic stretch will take your hip flexors through a forward range of motion.

5. Figure 4 Hip Stretch

This stretch will externally rotate your hip. You can do this stretch on a box or a table. You’ll need a box or table that you can bend one leg and lay the front of the leg or the shin on the box. Keep your torso erect and your core engaged. Keep mild pressure on the leg to try and keep the leg as flat on the table or box as you can. Hold for a 5-count and repeat on the other leg.

This stretch targets the hip muscles and the hip joint.

6. Goblet Squat

The goblet squat hold is literally holding a kettle bell in the bottom of a squat. This is an isometric hold which is super effective at improving hip flexibility. You want to use a moderately heavy weight. Flip the kettle bell upside down and hold it by the belly of the bell, or the part that would resemble a goblet. Lower into the bottom of the squat with the elbows just inside the knees. Use your elbows to drive your knees outward increasing the stretch on the adductors. Hold this stretch for 10 deep inhales and exhales.

This is a great stretch for the hips, hamstrings, and glutes, while also strengthening them as well. It also targets the hip flexors and stretches the groin.

7. Spiderman Stretch

Start in the pushup position. Step forward with the left leg outside of the left hand. Drive the hips forward and hold for 5 seconds. Return to the start position and repeat on the right leg. Alternate for 5 reps on each side.

This stretch targets the hip flexors.

8. Banded Child Stretch

Put a medium resistance band around your hips and your glutes and sit your glutes as close to a wall as you can. Loop each side of the band around each knee. Place your feet against the wall with your back flat on the ground. Rest your hands on you knees. Contract your legs in towards each other for 2 seconds and then let them relax out to the side. Do this 10 times.

Serve this quick after-school snack, courtesy of Cooking Light, to your kids as an alternative to traditional fried cheese sticks. Each serving of 3 mozzarella bites packs 7 grams of protein and is less than 100 calories.

This recipe is part of our 30 Healthy Log It Now Recipes e-cookbook!Download your free copy here.

Baked Mozzarella Bites

Ingredients

1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

3 (1-ounce) sticks part-skim mozzarella string cheese

3 tablespoons egg substitute

Cooking spray

1/4 cup lower-sodium marinara sauce (such as McCutcheon’s)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1/3 cup panko to pan, and cook for 2 minutes or until toasted, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, and place the panko in a shallow dish.

Cut mozzarella sticks into 1-inch pieces. Working with one piece at a time, dip cheese in egg substitute; dredge in panko. Place cheese on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 3 minutes or until the cheese is softened and thoroughly heated.

Pour the marinara sauce into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until thoroughly heated, stirring after 30 seconds. Serve with mozzarella pieces.

Find more low-calorie dinner meals like this from the new Cooking Light Diet, where you can lose weight without giving up the foods you love. Learn more at CookingLightDiet.com. Follow Cooking Light on Facebook for more daily recipe inspiration.

http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/baked-mozzarella-bites/feed/016 Surprising Sugar Bombs You Might Be Drinkinghttp://blog.myfitnesspal.com/16-surprising-sugar-bombs-you-might-be-drinking/
http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/16-surprising-sugar-bombs-you-might-be-drinking/#commentsFri, 31 Jul 2015 15:00:07 +0000http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/?p=10224Eating less added sugar is a great strategy to cut empty calories. If your goal is to slash added sugar from your diet, the best place to look is your drinks. When you’re adding sweetness to your beverage, make sure to do it mindfully. Grab a low-sugar beverage instead of the following popular sugar-bombs. Excited […]]]>

Eating less added sugar is a great strategy to cut empty calories. If your goal is to slash added sugar from your diet, the best place to look is your drinks. When you’re adding sweetness to your beverage, make sure to do it mindfully. Grab a low-sugar beverage instead of the following popular sugar-bombs.

]]>http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/16-surprising-sugar-bombs-you-might-be-drinking/feed/2Bad Knees? Try This 10-Minute Low-Impact Workouthttp://blog.myfitnesspal.com/bad-knees-try-this-10-minute-low-impact-workout/
http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/bad-knees-try-this-10-minute-low-impact-workout/#commentsThu, 30 Jul 2015 19:00:29 +0000http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/?p=10219A while back, I suffered from a knee injury that kept me from doing a lot of my usual jumping and running, but I didn’t stop working out while I was recovering. Instead, I switched from high-impact exercises that tended to aggravate my knees to low-impact moves—these still gave me a great workout but were […]]]>

A while back, I suffered from a knee injury that kept me from doing a lot of my usual jumping and running, but I didn’t stop working out while I was recovering. Instead, I switched from high-impact exercises that tended to aggravate my knees to low-impact moves—these still gave me a great workout but were more forgiving on my joints.

Here is my favorite low-impact circuit. To get a great 10-minute workout, perform each of these 5 exercises for 30 seconds for a total of 4 sets (or do as many as you can with good form).

Front Kick with Backward Lunge

Start with your right knee in front of you at hip level.

Kick straight out in front of you.

As you bring your leg back, go straight into a reverse lunge. Perform for 30 seconds—15 seconds on each leg.

Try to do as many reps as you can.

Curtsy Lunge with Sidekick

Take your right leg and bring it behind your left leg, then squat into a curtsy lunge.

As you come out of the curtsy, perform a sidekick by extending your leg straight out to your side.

Do as many reps as you can in 15 seconds, then switch to the other side and repeat.

Plank Up-Downs

Start on your elbows in a plank position. Your body should make a straight line from head to toe.

Keeping your abs tight and trying not to sway your hips too much, go up on one arm at a time into a full plank (no bend in your elbows).

Then, one arm at a time, go back down onto your elbows. Perform this for as many reps as you can in 30 seconds.

Triceps Dip with Leg Extension

Sit on a mat with your feet out in front of you and shoulder-width apart, knees bent, hands behind you with fingers facing toward your back and elbows slightly bent.

Pick your hips up off the ground so you’re in a tabletop position.

While your left leg stays on the ground with the knee bent, extend your right leg out in front of you. This is where you start the exercise.

With your abs engaged, go down into a triceps dip while keeping your leg extended.

Perform as many dips as you can in 15 seconds, then switch your legs and perform for 15 more seconds.

YTW’s

Start by lying on your stomach with your legs and arms extended on the ground.

Using your arms, you will make the letters Y, T and W. Here’s how:

With your hands in the “thumbs up” position, slightly raise and squeeze your arms and legs off the ground while making the letter “Y” above your head. Bring your arms and legs back down.

Next, as you squeeze and raise your arms and legs, lift your arms out to the side at 90 degrees, making the letter “T.” Return to the start.

Finally, raise your arms and legs again while squeezing your shoulders and glutes. Make an upside-down “W,” with your arms raised in line with your hips.

Perform all 3 of these letters in a fluid motion for 30 seconds each.

]]>http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/bad-knees-try-this-10-minute-low-impact-workout/feed/010 Handy Mason Jar Meals Under 400 Calorieshttp://blog.myfitnesspal.com/10-handy-mason-jar-meals-under-400-calories/
http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/10-handy-mason-jar-meals-under-400-calories/#commentsThu, 30 Jul 2015 17:00:51 +0000http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/?p=10210The mason jar craze hit hard this season, so we wouldn’t be surprised if you went out and bought your own dozen (admit it, you’re thinking about it!). These adorable glass containers are a good substitute for plastic storage containers, which can expose you to some not-so-benign chemicals. To help you put these jars to […]]]>

The mason jar craze hit hard this season, so we wouldn’t be surprised if you went out and bought your own dozen (admit it, you’re thinking about it!). These adorable glass containers are a good substitute for plastic storage containers, which can expose you to some not-so-benign chemicals. To help you put these jars to good use, we’ve compiled 10 jar-friendly meals all under 400 calories per serving!

1. Banana Bread Overnight Oats | The Wheatless Kitchen
Oats are a healthy and filling breakfast food, but they can take time to cook. This banana bread overnight-oats recipe has you do the heavy lifting the night before, making breakfast a grab-and-go situation the next morning! Recipe makes 1 individual-sized serving.

3. Make-Ahead Instant Oatmeal Jars | MyFitnessPal’s Original Recipes
Instant oatmeal packets are a godsend for busy mornings, but have you considered crafting your own instant oatmeal jars? By purchasing oatmeal, dried fruit and nuts in bulk, you can make your own version of instant oatmeal and save money at the same time. Use adorable mason jars to portion out your meal, or some light ziplock bags will also do the trick.

5. Blueberry Almond Oatmeal Parfait | The Wheatless Kitchen
Wake up to an extravagantly simple breakfast parfait. The recipe features layers of oatmeal and yogurt crowned with crunchy almonds and refreshing blueberries. As a nutritional FYI, it’s also high in fiber and gluten-free. It’s so simple and delicious, you can put your own twist on it by substituting the almonds and blueberries with any other fruit or nut. Now you have no excuse to skip breakfast.

8. Mini Mason Jar Blueberry Pies | Hand Made Mood
These adorable mason jar blueberry pies are loaded with ooey-gooey blueberries that have been simmered in sugar, lemon zest and cinnamon. Bake up with a crunchy lattice crust, and you have a delicious dessert you can sink your teeth into. Recipe makes 6 servings at 1 jar each.

9. Zucchini Pasta Salad with Avocado Spinach Dressing | Sugar-Free Mom
This raw vegetable salad uses zucchini noodles, making it friendly for carb-conscious eaters. Celery, bell peppers and tomatoes give this salad crunch and fiber, while the avocado-spinach dressing gives a creamy kick. Feel free to toss this salad in a bowl or shake it up in a mason jar so you can take it to go. Recipe makes 1 serving.

]]>http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/10-handy-mason-jar-meals-under-400-calories/feed/0A Beginner’s Guide to Your Metabolismhttp://blog.myfitnesspal.com/a-beginners-guide-to-your-metabolism/
http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/a-beginners-guide-to-your-metabolism/#commentsThu, 30 Jul 2015 15:00:46 +0000http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/?p=10275Contrary to popular belief, the majority of your daily calorie burn doesn’t come from puddles of sweat after a tough workout. Calorie burn is actually driven by your metabolism. Metabolism is the entire process of converting calories into energy to power all your bodily processes. And it isn’t just about calorie burning! It’s also about […]]]>

Contrary to popular belief, the majority of your daily calorie burn doesn’t come from puddles of sweat after a tough workout. Calorie burn is actually driven by your metabolism.

Metabolism is the entire process of converting calories into energy to power all your bodily processes. And it isn’t just about calorie burning! It’s also about calorie storing. Your metabolism determines the number of calories you need daily to maintain your weight. While there’s only one way calories can enter your body (nom nom!), there are many ways for calories to leave it. Here are the three major factors that affect your metabolism and overall calorie burn.

Accounts for 60–70% of daily calories you burn.

Basal metabolic rate is the number of calories your body needs to support the vital functions that keep you alive (breathing, digesting, filtering waste) while at rest. These functions eat up a whopping 60–70% of your daily calorie intake, making BMR the largest contributor to your metabolism. Your BMR doesn’t include the calories you burn for normal daily activities or exercise. Here are the key factors that play into BMR:

BODY SIZE A bigger individual requires more calories to sustain their body at rest and with any activity they do. Taller and heavier individuals have larger organs (muscles, brain, heart) that require more calories for upkeep.

BODY COMPOSITION Muscle is more metabolically active than fat, meaning more calories must be burned to maintain a pound of muscle compared to a pound of fat. Two healthy individuals of the same age, height and weight can have very different BMR if they have significantly different percentages of lean versus fat mass. Since most women have more fat mass compared to men, they have correspondingly lower BMR compared to men of the same height and weight.

AGE Your BMR is higher when you are younger, especially since calories are needed to supply your growing body. The trend is that as you age you slowly gain weight in the form of fat mass and lose weight in the form of muscle mass. Read 5 Ways to Cope with a Slowing Metabolism to learn more about how aging affects your metabolism.

GENETICS You knew this was coming! Some people are born with higher (or lower) BMR than others, and this is completely normal. Your genes are not something you can fix, but if you suspect you have a genetic condition that slows down your metabolism (such as familial hypothyroidism), this is something you should consult a medical professional about.

HORMONES They act like chemical dials allowing your body to turn your metabolism up or down depending on its needs. The two main hormones (thyroxine and triiodothyronine) directly responsible for turning up BMR come from your thyroid gland. Other hormones indirectly cause your thyroid gland to release more or less of these hormones, leading to a change in BMR.

HEALTH Generally, your BMR is higher when you are fighting off an infection or healing from a major wound. This is because your body requires more calories to accomplish both of these tasks.

Because these factors introduce so much variability, calculating someone’s exact BMR is hard to measure accurately without sinking serious cash into fancy equipment. Instead, BMR is generally approximated using an equation called the Mifflin–St. Jeor, which has been shown to be most accurate in predicting BMR for healthy adults compared to other existing equations. This equation approximates your BMR using your gender, body size and age when it calculates your daily calorie goal. You can even play around with this equation on the MyFitnessPal BMR calculator.

Accounts for 10% of daily calories you burn.

Sure, it’s not an easy word to say, but at least the concept is somewhat simple. Food thermogenesis is the energy (calories) you need to digest and absorb food. Of all the macronutrients, protein requires the most work to digest followed by carbs and fat. About 10% of your daily calorie intake is used to digest and absorb a meal with mixed macronutrients, but here’s the breakdown in case you’re interested:

About 0–3% of the calories from the fat you eat are used to support its digestion.

About 5–10% of the calories from the carbs you eat are used to support its digestion.

About 20–30% of the calories from the protein you eat are used to support its digestion.

A high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet tries to leverage this phenomenon to burn calories, as it takes more energy to burn protein than carbs or fat. Since food thermogenesis only accounts for 10% of daily calorie burn, eating more protein will only have a small effect on your metabolic rate. While protein is still helpful for weight loss, you need to consider the cons of eating too much, including the wear and tear on your kidneys.

Accounts for 20% of daily calories you burn.

For most people physical activity accounts for 20% of daily calories burned, but this percentage can be higher on tough workout days. Keep in mind that it’s not just about the calories burned while working out; it’s also about the calories burned while working on the job (think: typing, carrying heavy loads, standing, fidgeting) and having fun (think: shopping, playing, singing). MyFitnessPal takes this into account by asking you to identify your usual activity level (sedentary, lightly active, active, very active) to more accurately predict your total daily calorie burn.

Our body is designed to extract energy from all three types of macronutrient fuel (carbohydrates, fat and protein), but that doesn’t mean a calorie is just a calorie. What our body is going through while it’s burning those calories determines which fuel it turns to the most. Here are some common conditions:

Exercise above 70% maximal heart rate: At this intensity, it’s difficult to talk because your body focuses on breathing to deliver oxygen to your exercising muscles. Under lower oxygen conditions, your body turns to carbs for fuel. Why? Because carbs can be burned quickly and it can be used in oxygen-deprived conditions.

Exercise below 70% maximal heart rate: At this intensity, you’re able to freely chat with your jogging partner and still get enough oxygen. In this scenario, the body prefers fat as fuel for these activities because this slow-burning fuel is perfect—especially when there’s plenty around.

Overnight fast: Your metabolism slows down during sleep, but calories are needed to repair cells and maintain normal bodily functions like breathing. Since you won’t be eating for the next 8–12 hours, your body will use fat to fuel most tissues and carbohydrates to fuel your brain. The carb that fuels your brain is glucose, and it’s usually stored as glycogen (stored carbs) in your cells. If there’s not enough, your blood sugar will drop and protein is pulled in for fuel, because you can convert protein in glucose (a sugar) to bring your blood sugar back up to normal levels.

Starvation: Your metabolism slows way down, making you feel tired and edgy. Protein and fat become the dominant sources of fuel. After 48 hours without food, your body runs out of glycogen to power the two organs that prefer it the most: blood cells and your brain. While glucose is the only fuel blood cells can run on, the brain will start learning to power itself with fat in the form of ketone bodies. Your body ramps up breakdown of muscles and organs (for protein fuel) and fat pads (for fat fuel).

Additionally, certain diseases and conditions will affect the fuel your body uses the most. For example, if you’re suffering from a third-degree burn, you’ll need much more protein fuel to heal and rebuild tissues.

You can also change the fuel type your body prefers during exercise by training. As you train, your body becomes more efficient at using oxygen during exercise. This allows you to burn more fat during higher-intensity exercises rather than mostly carbs. For this reason, you can perform at a higher intensity (e.g., run, cycle and swim farther and faster) without feeling tired.

The “fat-burn” zone on your exercise machine is the best setting for weight loss. Not necessarily. The “fat-burn” zone on your exercise machine usually operates at a slower pace to keep you at less than 70% of your maximal heart rate. This allows you to burn a larger percentage of the calories from fat, but the number of calories you burn will be less than if you challenged yourself. Upping the intensity of your workout allows you to burn more calories overall, which is helpful for weight loss.

Late-night eating will mess with your metabolism and cause weight gain. Your metabolism does ramp down at night, but your body will still handle the food you eat the same way. Again, focusing on calorie quality and quantity is most important.

Drinking green tea will make you burn more calories. Green tea contains catechins, which supposedly help with fat burning. Several small clinical trials suggest that drinking green tea may benefit weight loss, but the effect is small and the study results were inconsistent. If you like green tea go ahead and brew yourself a batch, but don’t count on it for any sizeable metabolic spur.

Squeeze strength training into your exercise routine. Adding muscle mass increases your BMR, the biggest contributor to your overall metabolism. This will allow you to burn more calories even when you aren’t exercising. Check out So You Want to Start…Strength Training to learn more.

Ramp up your workout intensity. During an aerobic exercise (think: running, swimming, biking), go at a pace fast enough that you can benefit from “after burn,” a phenomenon where you burn extra calories after exercise.

Meet your daily protein goal. High-quality protein sources will give you all the amino acids needed postexercise to help muscles repair and grow. To learn more abou

]]>http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/a-beginners-guide-to-your-metabolism/feed/0A Beginner’s Guide to Joint Healthhttp://blog.myfitnesspal.com/a-beginners-guide-to-joint-health/
http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/a-beginners-guide-to-joint-health/#commentsWed, 29 Jul 2015 19:00:34 +0000http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/?p=10222We know that we have joints, and we know that they help us move, but many of us don’t pay as much attention to them as we should. A recent survey found that nearly seven in 10 Americans over age 34 experience occasional joint stiffness, and 62% of Gen Xers—now in their late 30s and […]]]>

We know that we have joints, and we know that they help us move, but many of us don’t pay as much attention to them as we should. A recent survey found that nearly seven in 10 Americans over age 34 experience occasional joint stiffness, and 62% of Gen Xers—now in their late 30s and 40s—are concerned about their joints. So what can be done to build better joint health?

Let’s start with the basics. A joint is where two or more bones are conjoined together, most commonly with cartilage. And it’s this healthy cartilage that helps us move; it allows bones to glide over one another and prevents bones from rubbing against each other.

Strong, flexible joints are essential for almost every daily activity. Whether you’re tossing a baseball, lifting a glass of water, nodding your head, standing from a chair or playing with your children, you depend on your joints. Simply put, joints are the gateway to leading healthy, active lifestyles. This is why it’s imperative we pay attention to joints and take care of them, starting early in life.

While there are certain joints we’re more commonly aware of, such as the knees, and those found in the back, hands and neck. There are actually 147 joints in the human body—and all of them need attention.

All too often, many of us take our joints for granted and don’t pay attention to them until it’s too late. Joints have a direct effect on our daily movements and activities, so it’s important that we give them the proper attention and care they deserve.

I often draw the comparison to patients that, just as we promote healthy teeth and head off decay by brushing and flossing regularly, we can get ahead of joint health by properly nourishing, moving and stretching them regularly. Overall, joints are just as important as our heart and lungs—they help us function daily and keep us active as we age.

Not paying attention to our joints means gambling with our health and quality of life as we age. Joint health is that important.

We continuously put stress on our joints every day by carrying extra body weight, slugging around heavy backpacks, practicing poor posture and sitting improperly. One effective means for supporting joint health is to lower overall body weight, especially for those who are overweight or obese. Losing excess weight can ease the strain the additional body mass puts on your joints. In addition, many who maintain active lifestyles and fitness routines can pay more attention to the results of their workouts than they do to the way exercise (particularly high-impact and repetitive movements) impacts their joints.

By taking action throughout our lives—starting as early as our 30s—we can help nourish and strengthen our joints to support them as we age.

When it comes to joint health, it’s never too early to be proactive. Most of us have the mentality that we can wait until later in life to take action. Not true. As we practice proper fitness techniques and nourish our bodies with healthy foods, it’s also important to incorporate supplements into our diets to meet the needs of our joints.

Eating healthy foods is beneficial to our bodies; however, it’s difficult to get the most important joint-health ingredients, like glucosamine, chondroitin and collagen, into our everyday diets. Joint-health supplements, such as those offered by Osteo Bi-Flex*, help provide proper nourishment to support joint function, strength and mobility.

Make your joint health a priority. Nourish your body properly, and you’ll feel the results for years to come.

Good joint health is dependent upon regular physical activity. Stay active. Warm up properly before exercise, and cool down and stretch after exercise.

Many patients with joint concerns tend to rest in search of recovery. Movement is a much better—and proven—path. Patients should work low-impact exercises, such as yoga and water aerobics, into their routines. Remember: some exercise is better than none. The more you move, the more your body will reward you.

Stiffness is common, especially in the morning. To combat the occasional joint stiffness, try a “hot-and-cold” regimen. You can establish this routine by taking a long, warm shower or bath when you wake up and then integrating other hot remedies into your day, such as sitting with an electric blanket over your legs or lying on a heating pad at night. The warmth of these techniques helps your joints stay loose and flexible.

On the flip side, cold treatments are also effective, as discomfort can often result from a burning sensation in an inflamed joint. Inflammation can often occur after high-impact activities like running, and after activities like gardening and yoga, which require constant bending. A cold treatment is best applied when joints are “hot.” I often recommend patients use a gel pack or a frozen bag of vegetables, which can shift shape and bend around common joint areas, such as your knees, elbows and hands. Standard ice packs are only able to sit on one area of the joint.

Keep in mind that a hot-and-cold regimen that heat helps muscles relax, while cold minimizes inflammation and discomfort. So use heat for joints that feel stiff and cold for a joint that is already hot or irritated.

Regular massages—full body or even pedicure/manicure massages—can ease joint and muscle tightness. Whether you’re getting a full-body or a pedicure massage, you’re putting your joints through a full range of motion to decrease stiffness. During a full-body massage, warm oils and lotions can relieve stress on joints. The same goes for a manicure or pedicure treatment—soaking your feet and hands in warm water can relieve joint stress and soothe the body.

Joints age naturally; however, there are key preventive steps we can take to keep joints mobile, nourished and supported.

First: Pay attention to your joint health earlier in life, before it demands your attention. Second: Attend to injuries properly. Many patients take minor injuries for granted and don’t properly attend to them, resulting in long-term issues. One of the most common causes of joint concerns in men results directly from improperly treated or untreated athletic injuries. Whether you twist an ankle running, hyperextend an arm lifting a suitcase or jam your fingers playing softball, make sure you listen to what your body is telling you and take proper actions to address any level of injury.

Consult your doctor, ask questions and take the necessary steps to address and support your joints. Taking care of our joints ensures we can live the lives we desire, even in advanced years.

*The supplement recommendation comes from the author and isn’t meant to be viewed as an endorsement from MyFitnessPal. Readers should consult with their doctor for individual recommendations.